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Clearing heat

清热 〔清熱〕qīng rè

Also clearing. A method of treatment used to address heat using cool and cold medicinals, in accordance with the principle referred to in Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn) that heat is treated with cold. Clearing heat is used in the treatment of interior heat patterns such as qì-aspect heat, blood-aspect heat, damp-heat, and yáng sore patterns. Clearing heat is a generic term that corresponds to clearing among the eight methods. It includes clearing heat (in a more specific sense), draining fire, and resolving toxin. The distinction between clearing heat and draining fire rests on the distinction between specific senses of the terms heat and fire. Here, fire denotes a form of repletion heat arising from the transformation of other evils and from the transformation of yáng qì (see fire). Resolving toxin is the removal of any toxin, and clearing heat and resolving toxin refers to the method of treating severe redness, swelling and pain, and suppuration. Clearing heat and draining fire is poorly distinguished from clearing heat and resolving toxin, and in modern literature either term is used to cover the two. When the word clear is followed by a word denoting a part of the body, the implication is that heat is removed from that part of the body. Thus, clear provisioning means to clear provisioning heat. Clearing blood heat is conventionally referred to as cooling the blood. In modern clinical practice, the main methods of clearing heat are listed above. See also clearing damp-heat and clearing heat and resolving the exterior.

Heat-Clearing Methods

Heat-Clearing Medicinals

Heat-Clearing Fire-Draining Medicinals (清热泻火药)

Heat-Clearing Dampness-Drying Medicinals (清热燥湿药)

Heat-Clearing Blood-Cooling Medicinals (清热凉血药)

Heat-Clearing Toxin-Resolving Medicinals (清热解毒)

Vacuity-Heat–Clearing Medicinals (清虚热药)

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